Mad Men and Masks
by NeverRunningInk
Summary: How to tell the story of a masked man? You don't, because he doesn't want to be known. Or does he? The Mysterious Gaia is a mad man amongst men, challenging all that has become Republic City, and for what? For some righteous mission for the sake of karma? Unlikely as he steps up against one of the most powerful forces of Republic Ciry: Amon.
1. ENTER: The Mysterious Gaia

HEY! Now, don't get all excited over nothing just yet guys, cuz I'm not going to promise this will update again will soon. It was originally just something I jotted down at work one morning when we were particularly slow (I answer phones at a rental place, take notes, make appointments, etc...) Anyway, Gaia is a character I came up with around the third episode of the show, but never decided exactly what he was or what he was really after.

This was created after I figured that out, but obviously I'm not going to tell you anything else in case I DO decide to do more with this -_-

Okay, enough banter. Read, enjoy, leave me your words of wisdom.

_P.s. I write thoughts in __**bold**__ because I can. Deal with it :D_

* * *

Hin yelped as he was shoved backwards, nearly colliding with the counter behind him. It took all his skill to stay on his feet, all his brains to convince his feet to stay rooted to the floor, as the red clad Triade slammed his fist into his jaw. **This is normal, it's common,** Hin convinced himself as he wiped blood from his lip. **But still no one does a damned thing,** he hissed deep within his own mind, standing to his full height once again. His heritage cast him with Earth nation colors, dark brown hair and pine green eyes. His build was thick and muscular, but he didn't have the earth bending to back him up against Triades. All he could do, for now, was what they asked of him.

"You gonna get the money or not?" asked the firebender, his hand suddenly engulfed in a small but threatening flame. Hin glared but nodded, turning away from his attackers, and then headed into the back room where the store safe was.

The backroom was small, stacked with cardboard boxes and heavy wooden crates, and even a few metal shelves where small supplies and product were kept. In addition to its pathetic size, the room was horribly dull in appearance. The walls and floors made of the same pale grey stone, and the only window in the room was puny, letting in only meniscal amounts of sunlight.

There was no back door for him to escape through, no secret passage, but it wouldn't have mattered either way. They would find him, burn down his business, and then probably kill him afterwards. It was the way of Republic City, the way of the world even, and Hin had learned to accept it. He would have liked to beat the living daylights out of the Triades, but he just didn't have the power…

He had unlocked the safe, reaching inside for the Yuons the Triades wanted, but his concentration was broken at the last second when the sound of broken glass filled his ears. He jumped up and ran back into the main room, finding the Triades engaged in combat with a newcomer.

At first, he thought they were an Equalist, but the uniform was too dark to belong to a member of their ranks. They wore an ash black petticoat with grey buttons, a chocolate brown scarf tied around their waist with a tail hanging down. Their wrists were covered in tan bandages, sealing off the ends of their coat, the black pants they wore flaring about their ankles, but there was one feature that drew his attention directly in.

Upon their face was a blank white mask with two, round eyes that appeared completely black.

The fire bender shot off a large blast of fire, his fist shooting forward as a wide grin ran across his face. It looked as if the flames would engulf the stranger, but they stepped right into the blast. Their hands dove into it then shot out to their sides, dispersing the flames. They continued forward, their stride never faltering, and their hands coming back to their center. The fire bender stepped back, attempting to pull away, but the white masked intruder was faster and meaner. Hin flinched as the the masked man's hand shot forward, harshly into the center of the fire bender's collarbone. The triade gagged weakly, falling back as the flow of air into his body was disrupted; on the ground, he was an easy target, and the masked man slammed his foot into the fire bender's jaw, sending him flying back into the counter.

Their was an earth bender with the red triade, and he rushed forward with the look of a wild animal present in his eyes. The phantom intruder turned briskly, their face meeting just inches from the earth bender's, and Hin thought him to be frozen for a moment. A fist shot forward and Hin cringed as the earth bender screamed in agony, his attacker's fist holding his shoulder as they implanted their knee firm into his ribs, breaking them. He let them fall forward and lay on the floor, twitching for a few moments. "It's different from this end, isn't?" asked the masked boy, his voice deep. "It's different being bullied, being the one beneath someone else's heel?" They grabbed the earth bender by the hair, yanked them up, and then threw them across the room as if they weighed nothing.

"Tell the rest of the triades, tell everyone in fact, that karma has sent a messenger to collect her dues," the masked man said and then started towards the door. "And I am taking interest," he stopped then, his back to Hin. "I apologize to you, sir, for the damage to your store."

"T-That's fine, no problem at all," he choked on his words, unsure of what to think of this masked man. "Who are you?"

"Who?" they echoed, their head turning as to show their pale, featureless face. "...You may call me Gaia," he looked forward again and then, so simply as he came, was gone.


	2. ENTER: The Tea Shop

The bell rang softly as the door was pushed aside, rain pelting hard against the soft sheet windows. the clerk pulling down thick blinds to keep out the water. Figures the whether had suddenly taken a turn for the worse about twenty minutes ago, drawing people into the tiny shops along the street in hopes of finding shelter. The boy standing by the window groaned quietly to himself, having heard the bell, and glanced over his shoulder to see who had entered his humble shop... He didn't move once he made eye contact with her sharp, elegant eyes; they were a powdered emerald, a tasteful streak of soft purple eye shadow painted above each eye, highlighting her thick, black lashes.

He had an uncanny weakness for beautiful eyes.

"Welcome," he broke the silence, worried that his stare would bother the young woman. "Trying to escape the rain?" he tried to smile, his hand reaching over to the mop he'd set aside for the water the pooled annoying around the front door.

"Yeah, this storm kind of came from no where," she said as she ran her fingers through thick waves of obsidian colored hair, droplets of water cascading soundlessly to the puddle below. She certainly was lovely... She stepped away from the puddle as the boy dipped the mop into it, soaking up some of the water. "I'm really sorry about the mess," she said quietly, drawing his attention again. He glanced up from what he was doing, smiled, and she offered a smile of her own in turn; despite her hair being wet, it was still thick, resting over her shoulder in a thick lock, a small strand hanging down the opposite side of her face... Now, why did she look so familiar?

"It's fine," he dropped the mop in the bucket carefully, not wanting to tip over the water he;d cleaned up previously. "Just find yourself a seat and I'll grab you something warm to drink," he said with a slight smile, gesturing her off. He had to be about three or four years older than her, he figured, as she gave him a slightly surprised expression.

"Oh, but I don't have any money on me, I couldn't possibly-" she went on to protest, politely of course, but he offered a hand in response. Not willing to hear it.

"On the house," he smiled again. He walked around her then, before she could protest, and then headed to the kitchen. The girl took a seat near the main counter, in easy view of his small window while he began boiling water for tea. On a cold day like this, nothing tasted quite as good as a cup of his specially blended chocolate mint tea; he grew all the herbs himself, mixing them and grinding them together carefully, and then filling them into small mesh bags. Someday, he figured, he could patent these little teabags and make millions, but until then he'd just settle for them making his brewing a little easier... He ran a small herbalist shop known as _The Albino's Brew_, and was very popular with older folks. He made all kinds of special blends for teas, medicines, and little recipe bags that he nicknamed Flavor Pouches... He smiled a little to himself as the water began to boil. **And I wonder why I don****'t have a girlfriend, **he snickered a little to himself, pulling the water from the stove top.

He walked back out with a small, brown glass, the green eyed girl glancing up and smiling. He set the steaming cup in front of her, a tiny kettle next to it that earned an odd look from the girl. "Its my shop's special honey cream," the boy said simply, earning another glance of those beautiful emerald eyes. "Its very popular with my costumers," he said as he fixed the shoulder strap of his apron.

"This smell is amazing," the girl praised as she took the small kettle and pour a few drops of the soft, creamy gold liquid into her drink. The boy walked back tot he counter, thinking his good deed to be done, but the girl called after him. "I didn't catch your name?" she said, taking a small wooden pick from a cup on the table. She began to mix her drink with it, her eyes shifting back as a sweet aroma filled the space about her.

"It's Sheng," he said as he rounded the counter, picking up a small wash clothe from a bucket. "And may I ask the name of the lady?"

"I'm Asami," she said then took a sip of her tea. There was a long pause, her lips still tracing the rim of her glass, and then she spoke suddenly. "Oh wow, it kind of tastes like a mint, a really sweet, chocolaty mint... It's really good," she took another swig then, not noticing the smile of the young man behind the counter.

"That's my most popular blend of tea," Sheng said as he crossed his arms across the counter, studying the waves and the slight curl of her shimmering black hair. "I could give you a few ounces to take home. It's most pleasant on cold days like this..."

Finally, Asami looked over at this man; he was tall, maybe taller than Mako, with slight curls of russet colored hair, and the brightest honey colored eyes she'd ever seen. His shoulders angled something like Mako's, but he was a bit thinner; just smaller somehow, but still bore a slightly opposing presence. He was handsome in his own right, and friendly... She smiled a little. "That won't be necessary. I'll have to come by here again soon."**  
**

Sheng smiled again, feeling lucky.


	3. ENTER: The Loving Sister?

The sky was almost silver in hue, the clouds streaked out across it like a smooth satin blanket. Under that sky the smell of rain hung in the air, drops of water clinging to every surface while puddles formed in the curves and dents of the street. The sun was gone for the day, taking a break from her duties, and allowing the moist air to chill the people of republic city. "What a beautiful day," murmured the deep voice of Gaia, his form sitting perched like a predator high up a spire, thick cables spanning off from it at all heights. It was meant for te metal bending police, giving them a one up on most benders of the city. They had an aerial advantage when fighting, these black cords spanning over the entire city, and meeting at tall spires like the one Gaia found himself upon...

He stood slowly, his body moving as if he were made of water. He flipped backwards, his body jetting down like a dagger towards the floor, but his hands jet out and snatched a cord, turning his body over in a harsh circle. He was flung back up, then allowed to glide back down. He grab another wire and yanked himself up, standing upon the wire like an acrobat, one foot in front of the other. He walked, slowly, glancing down as the satiny grey sky slowly faded into a dismal shade... He dropped down onto the rooftops, his movements silent as he made his way slowly towards his target.

A garage door opened up in an alley, surrounded only by brick walls and men in masks with glowing, alien green eyes. Gaia sat atop of the building, watching as Equalists mounted cycles and waited for a thick armored truck to wheel out. Three more men came out behind the truck, dragging semi-conscious bodies behind them. Metalbenders... **They must have stumbled onto the Equalists... They're outnumbdered, didn't stand a** **chance, **Gaia's fists clenched where they sat, resting on his knees. He stood again suddenly. He stepped unto the ledge and jumped.

Who was this mad man who dare challenge the Equalists, the Triades? What was his goal? He claimed it was for the sake of karma, for true fairness...

He landed harshly on the top of the truck, drawing the attention of all those present, and the heat was on. Three Equalists approached, spinning bolas tauntingly around their hands as they moved in for their attack; two bolas came flying forward, towards the waiting Gaia, and he lunged into the air. The third equalist tossed his bola now, hoping to snare Gaia in mid flight. The white faced man's arm jet out, snagging the bola, and tangling it around his arm where it could do him no harm, then he charged. The Chi blockers were fast, but so was he; they met in the middle, the equalist going for his chi points. Gaia's hand shot down, snatching the chi blockers hand and turning, swinging them around and throwing them into their brother, the third rushing in to help. Gaia dropped suddenly, his form close to the ground as the Equalist's hand shot to where his shoulder would have been.

Gaia's balled fist slammed into his enemy's knee, making them cry out in pain. They went to kick him in the face, but he snatched the bottom of their foot, flipping them onto their head as another attacker rushed forward. Gaia dropped on his hands, kicking out as the Equalist tossed another bola at him. It snagged around his waist awkwardly, but still didn't restrain him as his feet connected with the shins of the Equalist. A jagged rock shot up between Gaia and the Equalist he'd been fighting, the metalbenders coming to with angry volleys and sharply pointed attacks; they had almost been dragged to Amon, they had to redeem themselves now as the vigilant in the white mask fought alongside them.

The Equalists dropped smoke bombs, running for their truck, but Gaia wouldn't have them escape to the streets. The less of them there were, the better, but as the men jumped into the back of the truck one remaining Equalists produced what looked like a crossbow. Gaia skid halt as his enemy fired, a dart pinning him in the shoulder. He screamed as an eletrical shock pulsed through his body, knocking him to the ground as the metalbenders came up on his flank, trying to catch the men who were getting away.

**Good shot,** Gaia hissed within his own mind, yanking the jagged dart from his shoulder. The cops were coming back now, meaning it was his time flee. He ducked into the darkness, bleeding, but knew he could still get away...

* * *

It must have been about three in the morning, figured the only life form within _The Albino's_ Brew. They'd closed up shop hours ago, but were still waiting, the lights all off but a single lamp above the counter; it illuminated their dark brown hair, making it look like melted chocolate, flowing down their back like a smooth flowing waterfall. "Where are you?" said they quietly, their eyes opening to glance out the front window.

A slam of the backdoor brought them to life, their eyes the color of an azure sky. They ducked into the kitchen then through a door where the back room waited; Gaia sat on the floor, having lost more blood then he thought. The wound was shredded and ugly, the dart having been serrated in hopes of doing this kind of damage. He felt dizzy and nauseous, like he'd been drinking too much. "Sheng!" a familiar, musical voice penetrated his delirium. The girl who'd been minding the shop for him dropped onto one knee, her hand slipping under his shoulder to force him to stand. "Come on, let's close up that wound," she got him onto his feet and led him into the kitchen, sitting him down so she could pull his mask away.

Indeed the sweet shopkeeper Sheng was beneath, his face pale. The girl dipped he hand in the sink, pulling water along with it. "I told you not to wait up for me, Shu." Sheng murmured quietly, eying the youngster. She was lovely in appearance; her hair straight as a satin drape, her eyes a deep blue, and her skin slightly darkened by the sun. She was dressed in a simple, blue dress with one strap, the dress slit along one side, and a white wavy trim along the bottom.

She gave him a dirty look in turn for his comment. "Brother dearest," she was scolding him, he thought, then flinched as the water started to mold the tissue under his skin. "We've been together so long that I'd never forgive you if you died," Shu said, her eyes softening as she stared at his wound, covered by a veil of glowing water. "So I'll stay up however long I want to," she stuck her tongue out and Sheng smiled a little.

"We really need to get you some men's clothes, you've almost got me convinced now," Sheng said as he leaned back in the chair, his little _sister _doing nothing but laughing at his statement.


End file.
